1. Field of Invention
My invention relates generally to a containment-type trap for flying insects and more particularly to such a trap that is disposable and has a flexible containment chamber.
2. Description of Prior Art
Containment type insect traps have become increasingly popular in the recent past with the advent of both more efficient and effective devices of this nature and various governmental restrictions upon the use of chemical pesticides, which may be deleterious to the environment and human health. Notwithstanding reasonably effective control measures, however, the insect population seems to remain substantially the same and continues to present not only an irritating nuisance for both man and beast, but also a health hazard and economic liability for both. This has been especially true in the more primitive, less developed societal groups emerging as viable entities in various parts of the modern world.
Containment-type insect traps heretofore known have generally been of a rigid construction, which by reason of the nature of the device has tended to cause them to occupy a substantial spatial volume, especially in storage and transport. Such devices as have been effective also, in general, have provided a reasonably complex structure which may require some skill for proper operation, sometimes beyond the abilities of various of the population that need such a device, and if such traps be not properly operated they may lose a substantial amount of their effectiveness. Such known devices also have been relatively expensive and have therefore generally been of a re-usable type which has added somewhat to the difficulty of their use because of the skill and manipulation required for recycling. The relatively high potentiality of loss or destruction of such devices has often made them not economically unfeasible. The use of rigid re-usable traps has also been limited, especially in higher societal groups, by the psychological aesthetics and sometimes biological hazards of users' being unwilling to empty the traps of insect bodies and debris to recycle them for reuse.
The purpose of my invention is to alleviate these problems by providing a relatively inexpensive, disposable, containment-type trap that is designed for single use and serves as a container for disposition thereafter.
To accomplish this purpose my invention provides a rigid top portion with a larger outwardly flaring lower part that fits within an orifice of a flexible plastic bag to support that bag and expand it to create a containment chamber therein. This construction is economical enough to allow a single use, disposable type trap and also provide a structure that occupies a relatively small volume prior to use, but still allows maintenance of various features heretofore known to effectively attract and entrap flying insects and the addition of new features that make the device more effective.
The primary attractant for my trap is an odoriferous substance that may be in the form of a solid or liquid and that may or may not be containerized, as desired. An effective fly attractant is a dry particulate mixture of yeast, egg and milk solids that may be containerized in a water soluble membrane for activation upon addition of water. Chemical attractants, especially for wasps and similar insects, may be provided in an oil type carrier that also serves to provide oily material to aid insect asphyxiation. This latter material may be containerized in a soluble membrane or bag or in a frangible container that may be physically opened by a user such as by tearing, rupturing or the like. Containerization of attractant material aids in maintaining that material in the bag of my trap during operations prior to actual use.
The only procedures necessary to activate my trap are to fill it with an appropriate amount of water, release its attractant if necessary, and hang or otherwise positionally maintain it where desired for insect entrapment. These functions are of such a simple nature that almost any human being with enough intellect to be irritated or damaged by insects is capable of accomplishing them without any particular difficulty.
My trap may be provided with oil to aid in causing an insect's demise by asphyxiation. Oil floats on a water surface to coat an insect's abdomen on contact and thereby disrupt the breathing process, especially as in the case of wasps or yellow jackets which have a semi-rigid abdominal covering which resists water penetration. Such oil is provided with the attractant or separately, as desired. Prior art devices generally have not provided oil for this purpose.
My trap provides particular colorations and images attractive to insects, entryways adapted to conform to insect instincts or so-called "psychology", a greenhouse effect and liquid to aid the demise of insects, and various other amenities heretofore known in containment-type traps to aid the entrapment and demise of flying insects. In addition, the containment bag admirably lends itself to provision of a medial, transparent strip with opaque areas above and below to provide a medial lighted area in the containment chamber, immediately above fluid carried therein. This concentrates an entrapped insect's activities in this area, immediately above the surface of contained liquid, to tend to cause an insect to contact that liquid more readily then if the transparent area were not present in this position. This structure also secondarily serves to provide a defined filling line to indicate the amount of fluid to be introduced into the entrapment container.
A species of my trap provides a totally enclosed containment bag with an orifice defined by a severable strip, removable at time of use, to allow the bag to serve as its own container for merchandising.
My invention resides not in any one of these structures or features, per se, but rather in the synergistic combination of all of them to provide the functions necessarily flowing therefrom, that distinguish it from the prior art.